Who are the real stars?

I thought about Stein?s column in light of the third anniversary of the vicious terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 . That day we saw the kind of heroism Stein celebrates. There were firemen who, as others rushed out of the World  Trade  Center towers, rushed in. We saw police on the scene keeping order, risking their lives. There were the passengers of United Flight 93 who died fighting back, thus preventing the plane from crashing into the White House or Congress. We saw the heroism of doctors, nurses, EMTs, construction workers, ministers, and blood donors who rushed to help.

We learned something about heroism that day, but the passage of time since has taken the edge off the lesson. We again seem to care more about who?s at Morton?s, or who the latest heartthrob is, or our matinee idols than about our troops trying to keep peace in the swirl of Middle Eastern violence.

I agree with Stein. It?s high time we started to recognize who the ?real stars? are. And this sobering anniversary is an opportunity to do just that.

For further reading and information:

Ben Stein, ? How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today?s World? ? E! Online, 20 December 2003 .

Ben Stein, ? The Real Stars ,? CBS News commentary, 4 July 2004 . (Reprinted at Stein?s website.)

Mark Steyn, ? Dems play second fiddle to celebrity egos ,? Chicago Sun-Times, 22 August 2004 .

Peter Applebome, ? A Lasting Gift, From a Terrific Club That Nobody Wanted to Join ,? New York Times, 5 September 2004 . (Free registration required.) Thanks to Christianity Today?s Weblog for the link.

William Kristol, ? ?The Unmentionable Odor of Death,? ? Weekly Standard, 9 September 2004 . (From the September 9, 2004 , Financial Times.)

Jim Tonkowich, ? Heroism Rediscovered ,? BreakPoint WorldView, September 2002.

Jim Tonkowich, ? Ten Things We Should Have Learned Since September 11, 2001 ,? Christianity Today, 10 September 2002 . (Reprinted on BreakPoint Online.)

BreakPoint Commentary No. 031111, ? The Promise of Our Country: Making Patriots.?

BreakPoint Commentary No. 030911, ? Terrorism, War, and Evil: Reflections on September 11 .?

BreakPoint Commentary No. 020911, ? Gratitude, Duty and Hope: Thoughts on September 11 .? (Free registration required.)

BreakPoint Commentary No. 020910, ? Rediscovering Heroes: Greatness among Us .? (Free registration required.)

BreakPoint Commentary No. 040531, ? A Soldier?s Valor: Helping and Healing in Iraq .?

Tim Keller, ? Questions on Everyone?s Mind ,? Westminster Theological Seminary, 14 September 2001 .

The ?9/11 Worldview Resource Kit? includes the book Is the Father of Jesus the God of Muhammad?: Understanding the Differences between Christianity and Islam by Wilberforce Forum Board of Reference member Dr. Timothy George and When Night Fell on a Different World: How Now Shall We Live? by Charles Colson, a booklet that helps Christians gain a biblical worldview understanding of the events of the day. It also includes a ?BreakPoint This Week? CD including two interviews with Charles Colson, who reflects on the impact and implications of the events of September 11 on American society and the world. To order, call 1-877-322-5527.